Josie’s Story: Finding Treasure in a Box

There is a lower-middle class in America that’s struggling to get by. Despite having a job, they still worry every day whether they’ll be able to put food on the table for their families.

Josie is one of them. “It’s like having a dark cloud over your head, all the time,” she says. As a single mother of three who works full-time and attends school, there’s no doubt that she’s working hard. But hurdle after hurdle still came her way as she stressed over finding ways to stretch her family’s tight budget. Things like rent and daycare were unavoidable expenses that drained her paychecks to almost nothing.

She tried to go to the food pantry, but with their limited hours she’d have to take time off of work just to get there before they closed. Because she didn’t qualify for food stamps, there seemed to be no other way to make sure her children were getting the nutrition they needed to be healthy and happy kids.

Then, one day at work, Josie stumbled upon Fed 40 on her phone and filled out an application. “I think it was the same day that I got the message saying that my order had been shipped. It didn’t feel real. When the meals got there two days later, it was like a treasure in a box.” With her kids excited about the food and going to sleep with full stomachs, Josie began to feel full of hope for the future. She sees her family doing better, and not struggling to pay the bills.

Better Together

Her daughters are amazingly supportive of their mother. They look up to her and how hard she works for their family to provide a better life for them. “Her girls were so sweet and especially the oldest, Ariel, who does all she can to help the family be successful. She is one of the most talented twelve year olds I have ever met. While I was there she showed me her sketchbook and I was blown away. She watches her younger sisters every day so her mom can do what it takes to provide for them,” said Jonathan Sutherland, FCE’s Director of Marketing.

Her young daughter, Iris, describes the difference in her mother with a happy grin: “I see her smile all the time and I love her so so much.”

Josie knows other mothers in a similar situation and she has shared the app with them. She said, “I have a lot of friends that work who are mostly single moms and they’re struggling, but they don’t qualify for food stamps.” She said they just need a little extra assistance to ensure that their children are eating healthy, nutritious and delicious meals.

Families’ lives are being changed through the Fed 40 app. With just $10, you can send 40 meals straight to someone’s front door, giving people like Josie the hand up they need to succeed.